NorthwestCT

The questions on the NCLEX were almost identical in their look/feel/wording to uWorld. I finished uWorld with a 61% average which puts you somewhere in the the 80th percentile. Some systems I was in the high 40% range and some I was in the high 70% range. Passed in 75 questions. And, honestly, in the month leading up to the NCLEX, and the 2 days after while I awaited my results, the hour I spent actually taking the test was the most relaxed I had been over that whole period. I totally credit uWolrd for that... lowering my expectations and preparing me for feeling like i was doing a great job getting 5-6/10 and just making my choices for SATA and moving on. In terms of studying, I would cover a system in Hurst and then do all the uWorld questions for that system. I feel like uWorld and the NCLEX were so similar that if you are doing well on one, there is no reason that you shouldn't do well on the other. I did a couple Saunders online questions and felt that they were much too specific to the actual content covered in the book, and did not really involve much critical thinking. I know each person is different, but for me, I had the majority of the content already in my head. uWorld just helped me learn how to apply it critically to an NCLEX style question.

I can't say enough about uWorld. Same exact look and format as the NCLEX. Got in, sat down, and it was just like I was back in my room studying. If I didn't know a question, no sweat, I was used to scoring in the 55-60% range with uWorld. Finished in 75 questions in just over an hour.

We have a midterm tomorrow in med surge and it is currently very intense! The first 2 months were also pretty crazy. Other than that it has not been too bad. If you really want to prepare and get ahead of the game, I would spend as much time going over A&P as you can. How the cardiovascular sys/heart/lungs/kidneys interact is especially important. Go online and look up nursing assessments (link to the first thing I came across posted below). You could buy the Saunders NCLEX-RN Examination book by Silvestri and that will give you a good idea on what you will be tested on and the type of stuff you will be learning. The first two weeks are taken up almost entirely by learning the nursing assessment process. This past year we had 2 days of clinical and 1 day of class per week. A number of people worked ~20 hrs a week, some worked 40. I worked 10 and it was fine. How to Perform a Head-to-Toe Assessment - Nursing Link

I submitted my application in early January and was accepted into the 2015 class late January/early February. For those with low undergraduate GPAs, mine was below a 2.5 with lots of Fs and Ds. However, I got a great job after graduation and took two years of pre-reqs full time with a 4.0 gpa. I also had fantastic letters of recommendation and--at least according to my feelings--wrote some really good responses to the application questions. I also submitted an addendum to my application in which I explained my poor undergrad grades. The program is incredibly disorganized and often very frustrating, but I have really liked our clinical professors and my classmates are incredible. First semester work is front-loaded and if you do not have a bio background the first 2 months are stressful. Once you get acclimated though, things get much easier. I'm a bit nervous for the next semester which involves 3 quick clinical rotations. If I was paying 40-60K for the program I would be upset (disorganized and lots of self-teaching is expected), but it is inexpensive compared to a lot of other schools, and some of the professors are really good. Also, I'll be done 8 months from now! In terms of working outside of class, I work around 10 hours a week and it is no problem (A-/A in first semester classes). Some people work b/t 15-25 hours and they seem to be able to manage. Personally, working more than 10-15 hours a week would be too much for me.

I am going to be in the Waterbury program and was wondering if anyone had any idea about the length/dates of our vacations? I am currently trying to plan for next summer, and was hoping to get an idea of when we will have time off.

Got in to NWCC, but I'm doing the UConn CEIN program, so hopefully that opens up a spot for someone here who didn't get in.

Are you sure this is accurate? I never had to meet with an advisor to take classes at NVCC. Also, last semester I was worried about getting in to a particular Nutrition class, so I registered at 3-4 other Connecticut Community Colleges. I was able to register at those schools without any sort of advising.

With the exception of Bio, Stats, and Research Methods (at Sacred Heart and U Phoenix) I got in to the CEIN program having taken all my prerequisites at Connecticut community colleges. I took these classes long after getting my B.A., so I think they understand that there is really no other financially feasible option for most people. Unless you are applying to Med School, I don't really think that schools care about where you took the classes. Rather, in speaking with the people at UConn, they seemed to imply that they cared more about how many classes you were taking at once compared to your work schedule. If you are not working full time, they probably want to see you taking 2-3 classes at one.

I didn't hear anything either. Thank god I got into the UCONN accelerated program, which was my (soft) first choice However, had I been accepted to Downstate, I would have had a difficult time making a final choice between the two, as I have heard a ton of great things about the program. Regardless, rejection is disappointing, especially after the majority of schools I wanted to apply to told me to not even bother after they learned what my undergrad GPA was.

Thanks Turtle. I just got accepted into the CEIN program and was wondering if you would be willing to speak a bit more about the program. Do you feel like you are being adequately prepared? Have you enjoyed the faculty?

Just one quick thing about feeling like you are the only person in the class who does not understand what is going on. If I didn't have the highest grades in my chemistry, microbio, and A&P classes, I was at least top 2 or 3. However, I left every class completely confused, feeling like I was the only person who did not understand what was being taught. Those are difficult subjects, and they require a ton of work outside of class to actually understand. So, take it from the kid sitting up front who you would probably think understands everything; I have just as little of a clue of what is going on as you. Again, science is hard, and it is probably impossible for 99% of us to pick up the information on the first go around. We need the discipline to study on our own. That is really what it is all about; being willing to spend a butt load of time alone, buried in your books, figuring stuff out.

My undergraduate GPA was closer to a 2.0 than a 3.0 (!!!), however, I had a 4.0 for my prerequisites (around 45-50 credits). I think I made a good case in terms of demonstrating how I had figured out what I wanted to do with my life and then worked incredibly hard to get there. Also, when I went back to school to complete my prereqs, I spent a ton of time developing strong relationships with my teachers and employers, and they wrote me some truly fantastic recommendations. UConn was one of the few schools I spoke with that did not discourage me from applying (Fairfield was the other). I think they have a pretty enlightened admission philosophy, at least as far as nursing schools are concerned.

Took the TEAS in December for the CT community college programs. I realized after signing up for the December date that my class schedule and work load made studying impossible, so I decided to book a second date in January that I would be able to study for during winter break. Thus, I went into my December session with zero studying, although I did take a couple practice Math tests. I was scoring around 60-70% on them. Since I took the test with zero expectations, I was very relaxed, which I think helped me. I did well enough that I decided to skip my second scheduled test. Luckily I got into the UConn CEIN program, since my scores were low for the other ABSN programs that required the TEAS, such as Concordia, SUNY Downstate, and Molloy (they told me to not even bother applying). Program Type: ADN Adjusted Individual Total Score: 89.3 ATI Academic Preparedness Level: Advanced Mean - National: 64.3% Mean - Program: 64.9% Percentile Rank - National: 98 Percentile Rank - Program: 99 Reading: 90.5% Math: 86.7% Science: 93.8% English and Language: 90.0%

Just got my acceptance letter for the Waterbury campus! Good luck everyone!